It seemed like the matter had passed, but its aftermath continued to ripple. The most noticeable change was that Laila had lost her freedom. She was ordered to move in with her mother. Even though they assigned more bodyguards to her, Janet and Mr. Oswald's worries remained.
Having not experienced much family warmth in her previous life, Laila couldn't refuse the affection her family was showing her in this life. Reluctantly, she left behind the picturesque Chinese-style courtyard and moved into her mother's Mediterranean-style villa.
However, what she didn't expect was that on the third day of her arrival on the island, a significant guest visited her early in the morning. It was none other than the prince's father, a genuine Saudi Arabian prince.
He had come to apologize, bringing along a plethora of gifts and accompanied by Al Nadeem, to formally convey his apologies to Laila and the Moran family.
"My foolish son has been unable to interact with women since his mother's passing. Even being in the same room as a maid is unbearable for him. So, since he was four years old, we haven't had any female servants attending to him."
In front of Oswald and Janet, the prince appeared more like a father than a billionaire.
"I have already disciplined those bodyguards for this incident. I hope Miss Moran can forgive my foolish son's recklessness."
He had been briefed on the situation by the butler and was well aware of the details. Even if someone made the first move towards him, it was because he had been disrespectful to a lady. In their country, such behavior towards women was highly inappropriate, not to mention abroad.
"Let it go, we don't want to escalate the matter," Janet said, her face still grim. Her rigid voice indicated that her words weren't her true feelings. She was holding back her anger due to Oswald's presence. Thinking about her poor daughter, who had barely escaped the clutches of the disease, almost being taken away by the grim reaper once again, she wished she could take a gun and shoot that foolish prince.
Oswald smiled sternly. "This was an accident. Laila hasn't suffered any substantial harm. Let's just let it go. But I hope there won't be a next time. Otherwise, even if you come here in person, Prince, the Moran family will seek justice."
Oswald's words held a lot of weight. So what if the other was a prince? Saudi Arabia was just a tiny place. The better they spoke of him, the more they could consider him a prince. The worse they spoke of him, the more they could disregard his existence.
Even if he were powerful in his country, his power and influence would be worthless in the United States. If it came down to a head-on confrontation between them, the financial resources and influence that the Moran family held would easily overshadow a prince from a small country.
However, since the prince had personally come to apologize upon receiving the news, and considering Laila strongly wished to avoid making the situation bigger than it was, Oswald agreed to let it slide.
"Thank you for your kindness." The prince was content with this resolution. He turned to his son, who was shrinking in the corner. "Al Nadeem, why don't you come forward and apologize?"
"I, I..." The prince's face contorted, and he timidly glanced in Janet's direction.
Had no one noticed that he had been stared at with dreadful eyes by that woman this whole time? Women were terrifying! He wanted to go home…
Seeing his feeble expression, the prince was almost tempted to slap him. How could a man be so afraid of women? Could he not hold his head up high?
Unfortunately, the prince's internal thoughts couldn't be heard by anyone. Otherwise, countless frontline warrior women from the Land of the Forbidden would be giving him a thumbs-up and saying, "That's the spirit!"
Oswald didn't find his expression any more pleasant to look at either. How could a man be so terrified of women? Ridiculous! Didn't he realize how incomparable his granddaughter, Laila, was in comparison? She was the true heir with the qualifications and demeanor.
"That's true." He waved his hand, not overly concerned. He added a touch of self-satisfaction to his tone. "Let's consider the matter closed. But don't blame me for being nosy. Your Highness, you've spoiled your child too much. Our little Laila earned several billion dollars by the time she was eighteen. So, parents need to give their children more space and encourage them to discover their strengths."
The prince's lips twitched. It was pointless! Didn't he remember how his son couldn't even compare to a nearly dying little girl? Could he not see that Laila had surpassed his son by a mile? And now, he had to watch her flaunt it in front of him, making him feel like he couldn't hold his head up high. So embarrassing! The prince didn't understand what he had been thinking before. How did he end up raising such a shameless son? He even had to bow his head in front of others.
"Ah, you're right!" he grumbled through gritted teeth, giving his son a fierce glare. Then, he put on a smile, and with a softened gaze, he looked at Laila. "In fact, my visit today also has a special request. I hope to have your assistance."
As everyone turned their attention towards him, the prince couldn't help but blush. This was so embarrassing! But this might be his last chance. He couldn't avoid it any longer. He had to say something, even if it meant putting his dignity on the line.
"Though I don't know the reason, it seems that my foolish son doesn't have any negative reactions to Miss Moran. It's the first time since he was four years old that he's been able to interact with a woman normally. So, I was wondering if the two of them could have more interactions. Maybe his illness could be alleviated to some extent."
Mr. Oswald's expression turned cold, ready to reject the idea. What a joke! He couldn't let his granddaughter become someone else's "chat companion," could he?
Unexpectedly, before he could voice his objection, Janet beat him to it, enthusiastically agreeing, "Of course, no problem! I support the idea of them spending more time together and talking. It would be wonderful if Laila could help him in some way."
"Janet!" Oswald stared at her. How could she push her daughter into such a pit?
"Dad, isn't this beautiful? Every woman is unable to get near him, except our Laila. Don't you think it's romantic?" Janet's eyes gleamed with a dreamy light, evidently believing this could be the beginning of a wonderful romance.
On the side, Laila's mouth twitched. Ah, romantic… she just knew it would be such an unreliable reason.